Pope John XXIII School at Saint Nicholas

Latino parents of school-aged children gathered at Pope John XXIII School at Saint Nicholas Parish, for a special program in Spanish led by a mental health professional. Four of the parents present attended last year’s program, and the general opinion among those who had previously attended was that they had found the program both enjoyable and informative. Topics in this year’s program included parenting styles and positive parenting, improving communication, and identifying signs of mental illness. “The fact that we had a high return rate speaks to the importance and need for the dissemination of vital mental health information and education that our Latino community seeks” said Sergio Hernández, M.A., LPC who led the program for the second year in a row.

The format of the gathering was left open in order to facilitate the flow between the topics, which were underlined by the struggles many parents found about making themselves available to their children, and balancing their different parenting styles. The parents agreed that their children could benefit from more family time, yet allowing them to “be children” within a democratic, and supportive environment. The meeting was ended with a Q&A where a mother pleaded with intact families, on the importance of respect and understanding for children from single parent households. Her comment resonated with the rest of the parents who felt that by teaching their children about respect, they would be more sensitive to accepting the differences of others.